By Alan Wells

He watched the front of the pharmacy building. An old man with a cane slowly and deliberately ambled out and passed his car without so much as looking up. “One,” he counted to himself, looking at his outside mirror as the man turned behind his car. Sweat had soaked through all of his clothing and then onto the upholstery of his car. Two more to go and that would be that. Only now, the butt of the pistol seemed so slippery in his hand from perspiration that it felt as if it would slide out.

[Read more…] about Three Count

By Mallory Smart

Wake up early. Security is vital to your protection and TSA are freedom-loving patriots who will get you to your destination safely sans toothpaste or any other freedom-hating products that are detrimental to your life as an American.

Check in with your airline and check your bag. Use the machine, seriously why would you talk to a human if you don’t have to.

Discard your humanity and join the line of the other faceless people waiting to be screened.

[Read more…] about The Introvert’s Guide to Flying

By Martin Durkin

“Detective. Did you stick a four-inch blade into the defendant’s front passenger wheel while it was parallel parked in front of Damian’s Convenience Store?”

“I didn’t want my brother getting away while I pursued the other guy inside.”

“So you freely admit to vandalizing the vehicle?”

“Look, counselor, let me reach into my wallet. Yeah here, here’s 50 bucks—your defendant can go get himself a new friggin’ tire, cuz God knows he can’t afford another one with better rims—all that dope he sells.”

[Read more…] about Two Brothers

By David Cook

I’ve often had trouble understanding why people do what they do. Why does Mum spend so many nights away with Uncle Jack? Why do I have to call him Uncle Jack when he’s not even really my uncle? Why does Dad spend so much time sitting in the kitchen, crying? Why do my friends whisper to each other when they think I’m not watching, and then stop when they see I am?

I asked these questions to Mr. Benson, my maths teacher, and he said to me that to really understand someone you have to walk a mile in their shoes. Okay, I thought, and I told him that I’ve never understood maths. “Could I borrow your shoes?” I asked. “And then maybe I’ll finally understand fractions like you do.” He just laughed, and then followed Mrs. Davison into the staff room. Another thing I’ve never understood is why they spend so much time together. I’ve even seen them go into the caretaker’s cupboard with each other, and when I asked them about that they told me I hadn’t really seen anything. And I had!

[Read more…] about Shoes

By Levi J. Mericle

I never thought I’d be revealing this or even expressing his proof of life, but he’s my brother and I can’t live with this anymore. It all started ten years ago on a Friday around six o’clock at night.

I put one foot forward, pushed all the force of my back into my arms, and hit the baseball square on. With jaws dropped open, we both watched it sail through the air as it came down and landed near the abandoned houses on the next block.

[Read more…] about Apartment 809

By Karla Ungurean

Do you need to pay for two nights if you kill yourself in a hotel? I debate ringing the front desk—if only to hear the concierge’s reaction. Would she ask a manager or rifle through notebooks of restaurant recommendations and family activities for some precedent on the subject? Scream and call the cops? I smile. The investigation and crime scene issues would take at least two days, so I figure I’m good.

Out the window I see the mundane existence of human life slog by and feel confident I am doing the right thing. I could jump, but I’m no Evelyn McHale. It would be ugly, knowing my luck.

[Read more…] about 2 Nights